1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates :to a surface contamination measuring apparatus for capturing particles that have become attached to a semiconductor wafer surface, to a liquid crystal glass, to a chip, or to the surface of a semiconductor device or manufacturing apparatus therefore, which is used to analyze the cause of the contamination.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an apparatus for measuring surface contamination in the past, as shown in FIG. 6 had a suction nozzle 6 disposed in the area around a spray nozzle 5, whereby a particle 8 that has become attached to the surface under measurement is first picked up by air from the spray nozzle 5, and then captured by a suction nozzle 6. The captured particles 8 are collected on a filter (not shown in the drawing), and an analysis is made of the cause of the contamination.
In the above-noted surface contamination measuring apparatus, however, the following problems existed.
For example, in the system illustrated in FIG. 6, because a large amount of air is taken in from the area surrounding the suction nozzle 6, it was not possible to efficiency suck in the particles 8 that have become attached to the surface under measurement.
Additionally, when a nozzle is brought into proximity with the surface under measurement, although the suction force is increased, it becomes difficult to control the gap with respect to a semiconductor wafer, for example.
This type of surface contamination measuring apparatus is disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application publication H10-10018, for example. This type of surface contamination measuring apparatus, results in a large amount of air being taken in from the area surrounding the suction nozzle 6, making it impossible to efficiency suck in a particle 8 that has become attached to the surface under measurement.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve on the above-noted drawbacks in the prior art, by providing a surface contamination measuring apparatus which can measure particles on the surface under measurement, with good efficiency, and without requiring difficult control of a gap.
In order to achieve the above-noted object, the present invention has the following technical constitution.
A first aspect of the present invention has a suction means for taking in air from the proximity of the object under measurement, a measurement section for measuring the amount of, or composition of particles in the sucked in air, a discharging means for discharging a fluid onto the surface of the object under measurement, and a sampling member, which is caused to come into proximity with the surface of the object under measurement, wherein a flexible blocking member being provided on a circumference portion of the sampling member.
In order to solve the problems of the prior art, a surface contamination measuring apparatus according to the present invention has a suction means for taking in air from the surface of the object under measurement, a measurement section for measuring a number of the particles in the sucked in air, a discharging means for discharging a fluid onto the surface of the object under measurement, and a sampling member mounted to the surface of the object under measurement, and isolates the area surrounding the sampling member from the outside by a flexible blocking member, thereby enabling the efficient capture of particles.